Breast cancer is characterized by a proliferative potential that can vary considerably from patient to patient. The rate of cell proliferation has been shown in breast tumors to predict the response to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Presently, measures of cell proliferation are obtained by histological or flow-cytometric analysis. Both methods are limited by sampling procedures and only 60-70% of patient samples are suitable for flow cytometric analysis.
It was recently demonstrated that sigma-2 (.sigma.2) receptors are expressed in high density in a number of human and rodent breast cancer cell lines (Cancer Research, 55, 408 (1995)). However, their expression is heterogenous, and their function is unknown.
A continuing need exists for noninvasive methods that can accurately assess the proliferative status of breast cancer. Such methods could have a significant impact on determining an optimal therapy for treating breast cancer patients.